Batman wades through the Jokerz gang and finally squares off against Terminal, their would-be ruler. But how much does he have left to take on this deadliest of foes? And finally, the moment his followers have been waiting for-the comatose Joker awakens!

This series continues to be one of the best comic versions of the ‘Batman Beyond’ franchise. With Terry back in the drivers seat it has been able to do away with setup and jump straight in to the action.

The current arc has been intriguing as fitting the Joker in to the future timeline as Batman’s most famous nemesis has always been problematic. The animated film ‘Return of the Joker’ did it best, until now. The gang of Jokerz had to be watered down to the TV series but here they’re able to be a little more ruthless.

The plan to resurrect Joker is a little sloppy but has been less of a focus then other events in the story. This issue manages to put a huge spin on that with a revelation that I won’t spoil here. It will be interesting to see where Jurgens takes the story from here.

Previous versions of the ‘Batman Beyond’ comics have focussed more on Neo Gotham and the visuals and have lacked some of the character depth which makes Batman so great. Within three issues this series has managed to really refocus itself.

‘Batman Beyond’ #3 finally lifts the curtain on Terry’s return after a timeline mishap left him dead. Whilst undercover with the Jokerz he is able to reunite with Dana and even without a whole heap of exposition it’s still an emotionally powerful moment for a series based on a cartoon.

Similarly the story is still on a slow burn. The aforementioned revelation at its close however should push the story much further forwards in the next issue.

Chang and Maiolo have crafted a really good look for ‘Batman Beyond’ a step up from the TV series it’s more grown up and a little darker whilst retaining the design qualities of Bruce Time and his team. The design of the different characters in the Jokerz gang are some of the highlights of the series so far. Terry’s is unrecognisable in his undercover gear and ‘Joker’ retains all of his signature look… if a little decomposed.

Verdict

‘Batman Beyond’ #3 is another great issue in an excellent run for the series. A strong story with great artwork to boot. I hope you are reading it!

Neil is the GYCO Editorial Chief. He has a BA in Film & Tv and an MA in Scriptwriting; he currently works 9-5 as an office manager and 5-9 as a reviewer/web designer. He has been subscribing to comics for around nine years but has been reading them as long as he can remember.
Favourite comics: Batman; Nightwing, Buffy the Vampire Slayer, Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and All New X-Men
Favourite films: Batman (any apart from & Robin); Star Trek Generations, Underworld, Beetlejuice
Favourite TV shows: Fringe; Buffy, Arrow, TBBT, Being Human UK and Star Trek TNG